What Graf-Martin does

Graf-Martin Communications Inc. is a Canadian full-service marketing agency founded in 2008 by Ellen Graf-Martin and headquartered in Elmira, Ontario. The firm is specialized rather than generalist: it serves faith-based nonprofits, Christian ministries, and faith-oriented media/entertainment clients, with a stated track record of strengthening more than 200 organizations since inception. Its service portfolio spans Brand Strategy Development, Integrated Marketing, Publicity & Public Relations, Fundraising & Donor Strategy, Advertising Services, Research & Analysis, Book & Film Production, Fractional Marketing, and Crisis Communications. Graf-Martin also operates two ecosystem assets — the Canadian Church Leader Community (a free monthly resource network with 10,000+ pastor/leader subscribers and a 15,000+ email database) and Faithfilms.ca (a faith-film promotion platform with 16,000+ subscribers) — alongside the Canadian Christian News Service (CCNS), a press-release distribution service it acquired and relaunched for the Canadian faith-based nonprofit sector.

The business model is professional services: engagements are project-based or fractional/retailer-style, priced per quote rather than via disclosed rate cards. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, relying on discovery calls (20-minute sessions), published case studies, referrals and testimonials, conference presence (e.g., Social West Marketing Conference), and the community flywheel generated by the Canadian Church Leader Community. There is no proprietary technology platform, no API, no SDK, and no disclosed software product — service delivery rests on people, process, and the firm's curated network of church leaders, faith media, and ministry partners. Customer concentration appears distributed across 200+ organizations, though marquee clients include The Chosen (Canadian Agency of Record), EMI Canada, Compassion Canada, Open Doors Canada, The Navigators of Canada, Fellowship Pacific, Landmark Cinemas Canada, Baker Publishing, A Rocha Canada, and Bible League Canada.

Graf-Martin is privately held, founder-owned and operated, and operates without external investment, parent company, or disclosed subsidiaries in the corporate sense. It holds a Women's Business Enterprise (WBE) certification, was named Business of the Year (1–10 employees) by the Greater Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce in 2023, and its founder was inducted into the Canadian Marketing, Advertising, PR and Communication Hall of Fame in 2023 and received the CCCA Award for Excellence in Christian Communication. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Graf-Martin

Legal name

Graf-Martin Communications Inc.

Website

https://grafmartin.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Graf-Martin Communications is a Canadian full-service marketing agency serving faith-based nonprofits, Christian ministries, and faith-oriented media clients with brand strategy, integrated marketing, PR, fundraising, advertising, and crisis communications services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marketing and Communications Services for Nonprofits

NAICS

Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Public Relations Agencies (541820)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Direct Mail Advertising Services (7331)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonprofit & Cause Communications (BPAFADAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Customer Communications Management (CCM) & Transactional Messaging (MPAAAIAL)

Keywords

• Nonprofit marketing services
• Faith-based brand strategy
• Integrated marketing communications
• Public relations fundraising
• Crisis communications

Headquarters

HQ city

Elmira

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Marketing and Communications Services: Graf-Martin Communications generates revenue through providing marketing, branding, publicity, PR, advertising, and fundraising services to nonprofit organizations. Services include brand strategy development, integrated marketing campaigns, crisis communications, and fractional marketing support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Graf-Martin Communications is a full-service marketing agency that sells integrated marketing, brand strategy, publicity and PR, fundraising, advertising, research, fractional marketing, crisis communications, and book and film production services to faith-based nonprofits, ministries, and Christian media organizations. All services are delivered through custom engagements and supported by owned community assets such as the Canadian Church Leader Community (10,000+ leaders) and the relaunched Canadian Christian News Service (CCNS) press release distribution.

Product overview

Graf-Martin Communications is a full-service marketing agency that operates as a single, unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The company provides integrated marketing and communications services focused on the nonprofit, faith-based, and charitable sector. Core services include Brand Strategy Development, Integrated Marketing, Publicity & Public Relations, Fundraising & Donor Strategy, Advertising Services, Research & Analysis, Book & Film Production, Fractional Marketing, and Crisis Communications. Additionally, they operate the Canadian Church Leader Community as a free membership resource network for Canadian church leaders. All services are delivered as consulting and project-based engagements rather than licensed software or self-service platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Change Makers Podcast: A podcast focused on conversations with leaders driving positive change
• Canadian Church Leader Community

Products and services

• Brand Strategy Development Brand identity, brand positioning, brand awareness, visual branding, and rebranding services to help faith-based nonprofit, ministry, and social enterprise clients establish and articulate their unique market presence and values.
• Integrated Marketing Customer journey mapping, campaign management, digital marketing, visual design, and video production services that coordinate messaging across multiple channels for cohesive brand communication for faith-based organizations.
• Publicity & Public Relations Press releases, crisis communications, media planning and buying, and influencer relations to build and protect organizational reputation and media presence for faith-based nonprofits and Christian media clients.
• Fundraising & Donor Strategy Donor program development, fundraising campaign strategy, product development and testing, and year-end fundraising campaign execution to maximize charitable giving and donor retention for faith-based nonprofits.
• Advertising Services Social media pay-per-click advertising campaigns, digital advertising, traditional media advertising, and Google Grant management to maximize advertising ROI for faith-based organization clients.
• Research & Analysis Market research, audience insights, brand perception metrics, and competitive analysis to inform strategic decision-making and marketing effectiveness for faith-based nonprofit clients.
• Book & Film Production Marketing Release strategy, press junkets, audience engagement, events, and influencer collaboration for book and faith-based film marketing campaigns.
• Fractional Marketing Part-time or interim marketing leadership and strategic support for organizations that need senior marketing expertise without a full-time hire.
• Crisis Communications Crisis communication planning, risk analysis, team building, and media training to prepare organizations for reputation management during unforeseen circumstances.
• Canadian Church Leader Community Free monthly resource and partnership community for Canadian church leaders, offering curated resources, faith film updates, vetted ministry partnerships, and strategic invitations to over 10,000 subscribers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 86.67% over fundraising goal achieved for EMI Canada
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The ChosencoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGraf-Martin Communications serves as the Canadian Agency of Record for The Chosen, managing publicity, public relations, and marketing strategy for the show's Canadian releases including the theatrical release of Season 4 in Canadian and US theatres. The partnership involves media tours, VIP screenings, church engagement, and coordinated promotional efforts across faith media.
• Canadian Church Leader Community PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVetted ministry partners featured in the Canadian Church Leader Community newsletter including The Chosen, Kentro Christian Network, Open Doors Canada, and other faith-based organizations offering resources to Canadian church leaders.
• The Table with EllenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partnership with The Table with Ellen podcast/show, cross-promotional relationship within the faith-based media ecosystem.
• Canadian Christian News Service (CCNS)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerGraf-Martin acquired and relaunched the Canadian Christian News Service press release distribution service to better serve the Canadian faith-based nonprofit sector. CCNS provides press release distribution and media coverage for faith-based organizations.
• Faithfilms.caminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFaith film promotion platform with subscriber list of 16,000+ used for promoting faith films including The Chosen Canadian releases.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• FleishmanHillard: Large global PR and integrated communications firm with nonprofit, faith, and social marketing expertise, offering the same integrated marketing, publicity, and brand strategy mix at substantially greater scale.
• Ketchum: Global communications consultancy delivering brand strategy, PR, content, and social impact campaigns for nonprofit and cause-driven clients — overlapping service portfolio with materially broader geographic reach.
• 5W Public Relations: Mid-sized full-service PR agency with established nonprofit, faith, and consumer practices delivering public relations, influencer engagement, and integrated marketing campaigns — overlapping service lines with Graf-Martin.
• Porter Novelli: Global public relations and communications agency with a Purpose practice serving nonprofits and social impact organizations — directly comparable service lines on a broader scale.
• Edelman: Global communications and marketing firm with a dedicated purpose, nonprofit, and social impact practice — a much larger incumbent offering directly overlapping integrated marketing, PR, and brand strategy capabilities to mission-driven clients.
• Weber Shandwick: Global public relations and integrated marketing network with a Purpose/Social Impact practice serving nonprofits, foundations, and cause-driven brands — broader scale but directly overlapping services.

Emerging players

• Hallow: Catholic prayer and faith-based media app targeting the same end-audience Canadian and U.S. church leaders and Christians that Graf-Martin reaches through its community, podcast, and PR work.
• Subsplash: Church engagement and faith-based digital platform serving the same Canadian/U.S. church leader and ministry ecosystem as Graf-Martin's Canadian Church Leader Community, with overlapping audience reach but a product (not services) business model.

Direct peers

• Bliss Integrated Communication: Boutique integrated PR and marketing agency offering similar full-service capabilities (brand strategy, PR, advertising) with comparable client mix across nonprofit and purpose-driven organizations.
• The Cyphers Agency: Mid-sized U.S. marketing and PR agency with comparable integrated service offering (brand, PR, content) serving mission-driven and nonprofit clients, similar in niche positioning to Graf-Martin's faith-based specialization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GrafMartinCommunications
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/graf-martin-communications-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/grafmartincommunications/?hl=en
• Xx.com/grafmartin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Graf-Martin